Hicks decided that the campaign should advance, and that was at ten o'clock on the morning of Monday, November 5th.

"The soldiers emerged from the ribat and formed into three squares, forming a formation, and the soldiers advanced. Half an hour later, they reached an open valley where the grass changed here and there. On both sides were dense forests where the Mahdi's men hid..."

"As for the Mahdi, when he learned from his spies that Hicks had decided to advance towards Kashgil, he immediately dispatched his emir, Abu Anja, at the head of the larger part of his army to Shikan (six miles north of the lake). As for Muhammad, he set out at the head of the other part of the army and headed towards the valley through which Hicks would pass, then his men disappeared into the forests on both sides of the valley. While some forces were hidden in a dense, tree-covered depression in the middle of the plain, on the campaign's route. Now everything was ready for the tragedy. Muhammad Ahmad and his men were lying in wait, eager for the arrival of the Egyptians. And behold, they saw them under their eyes, slowly faltering, exhausted, dragging their feet. He gathered his emirs to give them his final orders, then finished his prayers, drew his sword, and shouted three times: Allahu Akbar, fear nothing. Victory is ours..."

Sultain says that Emir Abu Anja reported that under the cover of darkness, his men clung to the trees, ready for battle at the first signal. They continued to rain their bullets on the Egyptians all night. They did not taste a moment of rest. On the morning of November 4th, Hicks resumed his advance, and before he had marched a mile, he was attacked by hordes of one hundred thousand warriors who descended from the trees like a raging torrent. In an instant, the square (fighting formation) broke, and the massacre began in the most horrific way. Confusion, chaos, and panic ensued. Groups of officers and soldiers resisted, but the situation ended in complete rout. We note that there is a difference in the two sources regarding the date of the battle. However, it appears that the final massacre occurred on Monday, November 5th, 83."